Primavera Wind Ensemble: "Rhapsody in Blue"—Tones Ranging from Classical to Jazz

Program

With the concert project “Rhapsody in Blue—Timbres Between Classical and Jazz,” Primavera presents an extraordinary chamber music program for wind quintet and piano. Three works from different eras and musical traditions are brought together into a thematically cohesive concert program—a rhapsodic journey into the blue.

- Leo Smit (1900–1943): Sextet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and Piano (1933)

- August Klughardt (1847–1902): Wind Quintet, Op. 79

- George Gershwin (1898–1937): Rhapsody in Blue (1924), arranged for piano and wind quintet by David Walter

The program opens a musical dialogue between late Romanticism, European modernism, and American jazz. The focus is on the unique sonic world of wind instruments: their diverse timbres, their rhythmic agility, and their ability to communicate with one another in chamber music with both sensitivity and virtuosity.

The concert program comprises approximately 55 minutes of music. The three works form a carefully crafted dramatic arc spanning from the late Romantic period through European modernism to the fusion of classical music and jazz.

Primavera stands for high musical quality, chamber music collaboration, and the joy of discovering unique repertoire combinations.

Our Ensemble

The Primavera Wind Ensemble has been performing with the same lineup for over thirty years and is firmly rooted in the Upper Lake Zurich region. This exceptional continuity shapes the ensemble’s musical work: familiarity developed over many years, mutual musical trust, and a shared understanding of chamber music enable a particularly intense and nuanced ensemble collaboration.

Primavera does not see itself as an ensemble that exclusively performs well-known standard repertoire. An important part of its artistic identity consists of unusual and unconventional programs that combine well-known works with lesser-known compositions and make musical connections across eras and styles visible and audible.

The ensemble’s long-standing collaboration enables it to shape such programs with great musical cohesion while maintaining curiosity and openness. Its regional roots on the Upper Lake Zurich are an important part of its activities: Primavera aims to bring sophisticated chamber music to the region.

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